I have been in sort of a funk. I think it will get better with some sunshine and vitamin D. I have been on a huge Stevie Nicks kick this last week. Well, and AC/DC and reggae fusion. My brain is weird. But they all help the lab work go by super fast. I got […]... Read More

I have been in the midst of a flare up this past week. It usually consists of extreme fatigue, waves of crippling pain across my abdomen and back, nausea and headaches. Along with a host of other unpleasant side effects. I make do with over the counter NSAIDs, but the doctors tell me that they’d […]... Read More

Last week was pretty busy. I’ve been keeping a low profile other than going out with friends Friday night and a visit to Portland this afternoon. Doing some resting and preparing for this next week, which will also be really crazy. I managed to give Norm a much needed haircut and now she looks all […]... Read More

My name isn’t that common, especially not up here in Maine. A few years ago we got an intern application from a young lady with my name and, despite her many other qualifications, we joke that we only hire “Savannahs” to work in our group. After she joined us, I have gotten into the bad […]... Read More

The last few days have been beautiful. The sun has been out and it even got up to 50F! I did survive my run today–did a decent 3 miles in 30F weather, entertaining myself by turning my breath into dragonesque smoke rings. I did have a fun time sliding down the snowy hill into a […]... Read More

Whew. This last week has been relatively productive even though I haven’t gotten finished cleaning my dining room table. Last week I decided to start a Couch to 5K program with one of my friends from work. We’re both pretty slow. It still doesn’t keep me from feeling super excited. I’ve been in some pain […]... Read More

“Love is giving someone the ability to destroy you, but trusting them not to.” – Suzanne Wright We all layer every day. You may not think much of washing up then putting on clothes and jackets before getting into your car. It’s all layers, really. We also layer ourselves mentally and emotionally in accordance […]... Read More

While I like the idea of having a definite deadline for goals (something something S.M.A.R.T.), I also think a lot of the things I’d like to do are more complex and will likely take more time. Also, I don’t like to rush through life. So, I decided to transform my 30 Before 30 list into […]... Read More

I am alive, just busy with life things. I have been doing a lot of thinking and sketching. And recovering. These songs have been frequently on my playlist lately and, since I often find that music better captures my feelings, I thought I’d drop them here until I can find my own words again. “There […]... Read More

While I’m working on whittling down my “30 before 30” list (which may just become a bucket list), I gave Norm a trim. She has had an emo haircut complete with eye-blocking side bangs for a few weeks now and was in desperate need of a beard trim. She kept getting snow chunks caught in […]... Read More

Update on Phase 3! It is no longer Phase 3! We have successfully made it to Phases 4 and 5, 4 being “Lookie! Lookie!” and 5 being a combination of “Awww” and “WTF is that?” (common sentiment I have with most newborns). Thus far, our experiment has yielded one blue alien creature, a lovely brown […]... Read More

Many people have asked me why I live in Maine. For those of you who don’t know, I was born in Atlanta, GA and grew up in a small rural community in Northeast Georgia (basically the other end of the Appalachian Trail from here). Things to Know Your face will get super dry and crackly. […]... Read More

This week’s been tough and super busy at work, but going to bed early has been helping me stay ahead of getting the plague that has been circulating. Luckily, I have good friends, like Normand and Remmers, to whine and paw at me for encouragement (or is it food they want??). There’s also my special […]... Read More

So, more snow today. Others complained quite vociferously, but I find it invigorating to have to shovel everywhere I go. Like your everyday route becomes an obstacle course. And feeling the car float on the parts of the driveway still deep in snow is always riveting. Upon arriving at the abode, I found that the […]... Read More

Today was loads of entertainment, none of which had anything to do with the Superbowl. Squash and I went to get breakfast (eggs, ham, grits, ham, ham and delicious fried apples for me!) and then made a random visit to the Christmas Tree Shop (CTS) to observe their sundries. We were not disappointed today. Among our found […]... Read More

“When you stand and share your story in an empowering way, your story will heal you and your story will heal somebody else.” – Iyanla Vanzant I typically start any new blog the same way, with an explanation of why I started it. Why I found it necessary to broadcast my thoughts into the ether. […]... Read More

I was filtering a buffer today when this song randomly popped into my head. Normally, it’s the Cinemagic commercial jingle. Weird stuff indeed. None the less, I started singing it loudly at random intervals all afternoon when doing really mundane tasks, making my coworkers either laugh or raise their eyebrows. It's only fair to share...... Read More

So I lied. I meant to post again a month or so ago, but life happened. I have learned to forgive others for this, and, so too, I must forgive myself. In May my mother was diagnosed with cancer. I was away in Santa Barbara when I got the news, which made my trip […]... Read More

The snow has melted and the mud is starting to subside. Everything is growing and blooming in a great display of resilience after a cool winter. There are birds out singing, and, from my kitchen window, I can hear children playing in the neighborhoods nearby. Tomorrow, I leave for Santa Barbara, California for some training. […]... Read More

So, I have been very web-silent on this site. Mostly all the hot parties I’ve been hitting up. Actually, I have been working on a big writing project in my new-found free time. It has been extremely challenging as well as rewarding. Rewarding in a personal sense, at least until I have others read it. […]... Read More

Hi all. I have been delaying a post here for awhile since I wanted it to be meaningful, and most of the last month has seen me trying to completely rework my life with a move to a new city and a new job. I’ve also been working on some other writing projects. In no […]... Read More

So, who the hell am I and what is this about? I am a grad student in “ole yeller” mode, i.e. trying to finish and graduate from my program here at Emory. I haven’t been much in the mood for writing since I have been writing A LOT of other things, namely a paper and […]... Read More

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SJJ. Living in North Carolina. Grew up in Georgia. Lived small in the Maine woods for a few years. A delightfully awkward INFJ personality type. Fallible human being, but good-humored. Amateur minimalist on a journey to downsize. Volunteering, tattoos and traveling. Loves most creatures, bad puns, and light roast coffee. More about me.

All of the opinions and writings here are my own and are not representative of any of my previous or current employers.